Sydney to Hobart racer yacht emits distress signal 150kms from NSW coast, urgent rescue underway

An elite racing yacht in treacherous conditions some 150kms from the NSW coast has called for help.

An elite racing yacht is the subject of a military, police and ambulance service rescue 150kms east of the New South Wales couth coast.

There are two people onboard the 19-metre Spirit of Mateship off the coast when a mechanical issue caused the vessel to take on water.

It is currently 185km east of Nowra, in the Shoalhaven region.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (ASMA) received an emergency alert from the Spirit of Mateship at 12.40pm on Monday.

NSW Police said the yacht sustained a mechanical issue and began taking on water.

Publicly available flight data shows a rescue helicopter flew to the yacht, but as at 6.30pm AEST the helicopter was about halfway back to the mainland.

It is understood the helicopter was not able to take on the passengers.

A military transport plane and two Navy ships are now included in the rescue effort.

Those military ships are the HMAS Arunta, HMAS Canberra and a Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is leading the search and rescue operation.

Police are involved in the operation, and say “officers are expected to rendezvous with the vessel about midnight”.

The Spirit of Mateship has raced in multiple Sydney to hobart yacht races.

NSW Police said that about 1pm on Monday the Marine Area Command and Defence Force were notified a 19-metre yacht had activated a distress beacon about 150km offshore from Nowra.

“The vessel is believed to have sustained a mechanical issue and is taking on water. There are no reports of any injuries,” the police say.

The helicopter which flew out to the vessel is the Toll Ambulance Rescue chopper, which left from Bankstown and is headed for Wollongong.

NSW Ambulance has been approached for comment about what assistance, if any, the rescue helicopter provided.

Conditions in the region have been treacherous.

Brutal winds knocked out power and phone lines across Tasmania and Victoria overnight and into Monday, while the area of the New South Wales coast where the yacht has gotten into trouble is subject to wind warnings.

Nowra is right in the middle of wind warnings for the NSW south coast, which is experiencing 60 to 70km/h breezes with 100km/h gusts on Monday.

Originally published as Sydney to Hobart racer yacht emits distress signal 150kms from NSW coast, urgent rescue underway